LONDON, May 17, 2025 — Counterfeit weight-loss medications are poised to become a bigger threat as pill versions of drugs like Wegovy and Mounjaro move closer to market, experts warn. The ease of manufacturing tablets—requiring only powders and a pill press—makes them significantly more vulnerable to fraud than injectable versions.
Pill Power, Scammer Potential
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The shift from injections to pills for popular weight-loss drugs opens the door to a surge in counterfeit products.
- Demand for weight-loss jabs like Wegovy and Mounjaro is high in the UK, with trials showing significant weight loss.
- Pill forms are expected to be cheaper and more accessible, but also easier to counterfeit.
- Authorities have already raided a factory producing fake weight-loss jabs, highlighting the existing risk.
- Experts emphasize the importance of obtaining medications only from registered pharmacies.
While oral versions of these medications promise greater affordability and accessibility, they also present a tempting target for fraudsters. “Pills are much easier prey for scammers than injectables as they require relatively accessible equipment to manufacture the pill – something to mix the powders and a pill press – and can provide the scope for vast production,” explained Bhavik Patel, a professor of clinical and bioanalytical chemistry at the University of Brighton.
What are the risks of counterfeit weight-loss drugs? Counterfeit pills may contain incorrect doses, the wrong active ingredient, contaminants, or no active ingredient at all. Some may even be legitimate medications improperly stored after being diverted from the supply chain.
Growing Demand, Rising Risks
In the UK, the demand for weight-loss injections such as Wegovy and Mounjaro has surged, with clinical trials indicating average weight losses of approximately 14% and 20% respectively after 72 weeks. However, these injections are expensive, require specialized equipment for administration, and necessitate refrigeration.
Novo Nordisk’s pill form of Wegovy recently received approval from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and is currently under review by the UK’s Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA). Eli Lilly’s Orforglipron has completed phase-three clinical trials and has also been submitted to the FDA for review.
The Allure of Online Risk
Dr. Bernard Naughton, an associate professor at Trinity College Dublin, highlighted the dangers of counterfeit pills, noting they could be contaminated, contain incorrect dosages, or even lack the active ingredient altogether. “We can see already that there have been some examples of the injections being falsified,” Naughton said. “It’s relatively easy to just create a pill and, if you’ve got good packaging, to falsely put it forward as the legitimate product.”
Research conducted by Naughton suggests individuals are more inclined to take risks when purchasing tablets online compared to injections. “So even when they think there might be something wrong, I have seen examples of people still going ahead and actually buying it and taking it,” he added.
Novo Nordisk emphasized that its Wegovy pill contains not only semaglutide but also SNAC (salcaprozate sodium), which enhances drug absorption. “Only Novo Nordisk manufactures FDA-approved semaglutide medicines with this SNAC technology,” a spokesperson stated. “Compounded semaglutide is not approved by the FDA and may contain impurities, unnecessary additives, and untested doses.”
Regulatory Efforts and Ongoing Threats
The MHRA has repeatedly warned against purchasing weight-loss jabs from unregistered sources, including social media channels. In October 2025, the agency raided a factory in Northampton, seizing over £250,000 worth of counterfeit weight-loss jabs, including those for the experimental drug retatrutide, which is not licensed in the UK. The status of any arrests or prosecutions related to the raid remains unclear.
An investigation revealed that a company linked to the packaging of the seized jabs, Alluvi, continues to advertise its products on the Telegram platform.
Patel acknowledged the MHRA’s proactive efforts but cautioned that the scale of potential counterfeiting with pills will likely strain resources. “With the huge demand there will be [for] the pills, this will really stretch the UK Border Force and MHRA, as the scale is likely to be greater than injectables and we may not be able to completely eradicate these counterfeit products entering our market.”
Both Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk are actively working to combat counterfeiting, including online monitoring and collaboration with authorities.
Andy Morling, deputy director of enforcement at the MHRA, affirmed the agency’s commitment to ensuring the safety and quality of medicines. “We are working tirelessly through robust regulatory and enforcement processes to identify and take action against the illegal supply of unauthorised and falsified medicines,” he said. “Any medicine supplied illegally or without authorisation poses a risk to public health and patient safety, regardless of its format.”
Oksana Pyzik, academic chair of the Fight the Fakes Alliance, noted that the UK is beginning to utilize AI tools to detect fraudulent online advertisements, but stressed the need for stronger regulation and enforcement. “Patients need to know that they should only access these products with a prescription, under medical supervision and to avoid purchasing any pharmaceuticals on social media,” she said.
Pyzik also observed a shift towards more sophisticated domestic counterfeiting operations. “When an illicit counterfeit factory can be raided, shut down, and then reappear online shortly afterwards apparently with no arrests or prosecutions as of yet, that is not a functioning deterrent and exposes real regulatory gaps,” she explained.
Naughton suggested improving verification processes for online pharmacies and launching public health campaigns to educate consumers about the risks of purchasing medications online.
